Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.
“and has now come” could not be added to verse 21 because local worship had not yet been done away with.
“spirit” is not the Holy Spirit although He certainly helps us to worship (Rom 8:26), but our spirit. Outward forms or places of worship are not the kind of worship God seeks; He wants our worship to occur within our spirits. Only then is it true worship.
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
“seeks” is a wonderful word because it is truly an amazing thing that the Creator of all things would actively seek men. Should we not strive with all of our energy to become the kind of man God is intently looking for?
There are certain types of people God is seeking:
- Those who seek Him
- Psalm 53:2 God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
- Psalm 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
- Man after His own heart
- I Samuel 13:14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
Possible definitions of a man after His own heart:- One possible definition is that the man or woman being defined is one who is exactly like God wants them to be. In other words, if a man meets God’s expectations of what He wants a man to be, then this man would be one “after God’s own heart” for God’s heart is set upon what this person’s attributes should be.
- Another possibility is that it describes a person whose only desire is to please God. The ultimate goal of this person’s life is to bless God and make His heart glad and filled with joy. The target of this person’s purpose in life is the heart of God.
- Yet another possible definition is that this person is one who is just like God in his or her inner being. God’s heart is a pattern of what their heart is like.
- I Samuel 13:14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
- True worshippers
- John 4:23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.
Have you noticed a trend in those whom God seeks? They will seek after Him, worship Him in spirit and truth, be the kind of person God wants them to be, desire to please God, and are becoming more like Him every day.
We should yearn to be the kind of person for whom God is seeking. Are you?